


Fast Break

by prospective



Category: Spider-Man (Movies - Raimi), Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Adults, Angst with a Happy Ending, Basketball, Drama, Emotional, F/M, Fluff, Married Couple, NBA, Post-High School, Romance, Sad with a Happy Ending, Short & Sweet, Sports
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-05 06:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16805353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prospective/pseuds/prospective
Summary: Peter Parker had lost his spider powers after a devastating event that brought him and MJ closer together. Upon hanging his webbed suit, Peter decided to pursue the career he had intended to follow before becoming Spider-Man: He became an NBA player. What will this mean for his relationship with MJ, however? Is basketball worth losing her over for?





	1. Memory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be alternating between MJ and Peter's point of view. You can decide whether the MJ in this story is the original one or the MCU one. Enjoy :)
> 
> Also, I don't own Spider-Man, but you already knew that.

**MJ's POV**

MJ sat alone on the hotel bed again, waiting for her husband to come back home from work. His work, of course, consisted of working out, practicing, and drinking with his teammates to "build a healthy team relationship". The New York Knicks team were a good bunch. They welcomed Peter with open arms when he got drafted and most of them treated MJ with respect. MJ couldn't return the favour, and only she knew why: she was jealous of them.

She knew how stupid and selfish this must have looked like, but she had been very jealous of basketball ever since Peter joined the league. It had taken up more of his time than what his Spider-Man persona had. They've been growing more distant ever since, but it became worse once the finals came up. They were flown to Los Angeles three weeks ago for the Knicks to face off against the Lakers for the 2019 NBA Finals championship, and Peter had never been more dedicated to his work.

It was scary to MJ, seeing Peter take this game more seriously than she remembered him doing when he went up against numerous psychopathic villains in New York. The only time she saw him with as much concentration was when MJ got kidnapped by the Green Goblin and he was forced to decide whether to save her or keep his spider powers.

_MJ whimpered as a shiny, long green sword pressed against her neck. She could feel the blood trickling down from the shallow cut that had been sliced open from her struggling. In front of her, Peter was shaking in fury, gun pointed at the person behind her holding her tight, Harry Osborne._

_"Drop the gun, Pete, " cackled the Green Goblin, "I know you're too much of a pussy to shoot that anyway."_

_"Let her go, Harry," Peter's voice was loud and desperate, "Leave her out of this."_

_"Or what, Pete? You're gonna kill me too? Just like you killed my father?"_

_"I did not kill him, Harry!" Peter's voice rose, "but I'm this close to killing you if you don't let her go!"_

_"You're confusing me. One day you say you would never take a life, the next you point a gun at me?" Harry didn't sound like the friend she and Peter knew during high school. "Have some integrity, Spider. At least, for me, you already know how much pleasure I would take from killing this bitch of yours—"_

_Harry's speech was cut off by a loud bang, and the sword pressed against MJ's neck became loose as Harry's body collapsed behind her._

_Peter dropped the gun and dragged himself over to the Green Goblin's dead body. A few weeks ago, Peter had urged MJ that the Harry they knew was still in there, trapped behind the Green Goblin that possessed him. Now, MJ wasn't sure if even Peter believed that anymore._

_Peter took Harry's mask off and closed his best friend's right eye. Harry's left eye was now nothing but a crater of blood and shrapnel from the bullet Peter shot just a few moments ago. MJ shivered at the sight, her heart wilting at the sight her old friend, broken and lifeless. Peter averted his eyes away from his fallen friend and turned to MJ with a face clouded with deep sorrow and guilt. He fell to his knees._

_"MJ, I can't stand."_

_MJ lowered herself to bring Peter to her arms, his body seemingly limp. "Are you okay, Pete?"_

_"I think I'm losing my powers," Peter cried, "I killed him, MJ. I killed my friend."_

_"No. You didn't kill Harry. He'd been gone a long time ago." They both silently cried in each other's arms for a while, and MJ couldn't help but blame herself for Peter losing his powers. With a croak, MJ broke the long silence and said, "I'm sorry Peter. If I just ran_ like _you told me to, you wouldn't have had to kill him and—you'd still have your—your powers."_

_"It's not your fault. I would have killed him many more times if it meant saving you. You mean the world to me, MJ, and not having powers is nothing compared to not having you."_

That was over two years ago. Now, it wasn't her who Peter was devoted to, it was the ball. This is ridiculous. People change, and so does love. MJ understood that now, and she knew she had to move on if she wanted both of them to be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter got the gun from a dead police officer whom Harry killed a few moments before the standoff.
> 
> This story is inspired by a Harry Potter fanfic I read a long time ago. I can't seem to find the name so if you recognize it, please tell me because it was a really good read.
> 
> Chapters will get longer eventually. I just want the first ones to be short and straight to the point so that we can get right to the story. Please review so that I can see that you guys want more. I'm halfway done the second chapter, which is in Peter's point of view :)


	2. The Break Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I still don't own Spider-Man, nor MJ.

**Peter's POV**

"You sure you don't want a ride, Peter?" Tim Hardaway Jr asked, his arms draped around a girl he just met in the bar.

"I'm good, Tim," Peter chuckled, "My hotel is just a few blocks away. I'm not too sure you should be driving either. You've had too much to drink."

"Come one, man. What's life without a little risk?" Tim slurred his words as he led his girl to the passenger seat of his car, "You've been a nerd your whole life. You definitely need to go out more."

Peter just laughed and shook his head, waving as he watched Tim's car drive off down the street.

_If only he knew who I used to be._

The team left to their hotels early tonight, for tomorrow was going to be Game 7 of the 2019 NBA Finals, and everyone needed a good night's rest to play their best. Peter was exhausted after today's physical training, so he decided to skip out on his usual solo workout routine and headed back to his hotel where his wife, MJ, was waiting for him. They hadn't been spending a lot of time together in LA because he'd been training a lot, so he was eager to make up for it with today's free time.

OoOoO

Peter walked into his and MJ's hotel room and found MJ lying on the bed, facing the wall opposite to the door. Peter slowly walked up to their bed, not wanting to wake her up and startle her. He sat down beside her and slowly started kissing her neck.

"Peter."

Peter was the one who got startled, not expecting MJ to be awake. "Hey, MJ," Peter continued kissing her, trailing down to her shoulders.

MJ turned and pushed him away, "Stop it, Peter."

Peter pulled away, his face simultaneously covered in confusion and concern. "Something wrong?"

"Not tonight."

Peter had to admit, he was very disappointed. Usually, it was MJ who made the first move in bed, so if she wasn't in the mood, there clearly was something wrong. "I'm sorry. I was just hoping to get some action for tonight," Peter playfully teased, "Tim says it's good for morale during the game."

"Please, Peter, for once, can we not talk about Tim, or Mario, or Enes, or Trey, or anyone and anything to do with basketball?" MJ stood up from the bed and walked to the sink to wash her face. She looked like she had been crying.

"What's the problem?" Peter asked again, now realizing something serious is going on with his wife.

"Nothing. We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"MJ, you need to talk to me about it now, or I'll be bothered during the entire game tomorrow"

"That's just it!" MJ snapped, "All you think about these days is the game. Ever since you got drafted, you've spent less and less time with me, and that's saying a lot considering how you used to fight crime every night."

"That's why I'm trying to make up for it for tonight!" Peter said incredulously.

MJ ignored what he said and continued her rant, "You haven't even been to any of my plays in Broadway since I got my acting gig. The one thing I worked for my whole life doesn't even matter to the love of my life."

"What, do you want me to stop playing the game just because I couldn't come to your plays?"

"No, Peter. I know how important your career is to you. It's just—mine is important to me as well. But I can't continue to go on that stage, always expecting you to be there watching, just to be disappointed, over, and over again. It's like I'm not even worth your time anymore." MJ cheeks were flowing with tears now, but she continued, "I think it's time we take a break, Peter."

"No, MJ, please. It's just one more game before the end of the season. We'll have four months where it's just us," Peter stepped forward to her but MJ raised her hands in front to stop him.

"Come on, you know that's not true," MJ wiped her cheeks to clean off the tears, but more just kept flowing back down. "Your agents are going to be breathing down your neck telling you to do things and making your schedules for you. You're too important for them to let you get away from their sight."

"You're being difficult."

"It's me, or the game, Peter. Make your choice now because I'm tired of being put second to a damn game," MJ said as she continued to burst into tears.

"Of course, it's you, MJ. I love you."

"Then promise me that tomorrow will be your last game."

Peter was too floored to react. _How can she make me give up basketball when it's all that I've worked for the past year? He thought, What if it's me asking her to give up acting?_

"I thought so," MJ said when Peter didn't respond, "We have our own careers to focus on now, and we've grown apart a long time ago. It's over, Peter."

With that, MJ turned to pick up her luggage in the closet and went for the door, sniffling. Peter realized that she had been prepared to leave long before they even had this conversation. Before Peter thought to reply, she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens...
> 
> As you can see, I'm not an NBA player myself, so I don't know much about how one would spend their time. All I have is my imagination and some research. If I get some things wrong, I'm sorry, but I hope that won't ruin the story for you.


	3. The Game

**Peter's POV**

The crowds cheered as Peter stepped into the court. Despite being with the visiting team, he still had thousands of fans here in Los Angeles, rooting for him to carry the Knicks to victory over the Lakers. Peter knew he should be more grateful for the overwhelming support the people are giving him, but for some reason, his mind just kept coming back to MJ.

 _She left me,_ Peter reminded himself. _I need to forget about her. She was right, we both have our own careers to focus on. It's just that—it'll be hard for me to focus on this game if I can't take her out of my mind!_

Peter was brought back to the present when his coach, David Fizdale, patted him on the back. "Are you feeling better now, Peter? You ready to take this ring once and for all?"

 _Ring? What ring? My wife just left me. He can't seriously think that I'm proposing to—Oh, right._ Peter sighed and nodded once he realized what his coach meant.

"It'll get better in time. Trust me, I've been there," Coach David said encouragingly before shifting back to his authoritative voice, "Now get out there and show 'em what you got!"

Peter joined his teammates on their pre-game drills, doing some shoot-around. They smiled encouragingly at him, for they already knew bits of what had transpired last night. Rumours spread like wildfire when someone misses the pre-game national anthem, so Peter had to clear things out before they got out of hand.

He was late because he wasn't able to sleep the whole night after MJ left. Instead, he stayed up tossing and turning in his bed until he gave up trying to sleep at 5 AM. He got up and ate breakfast, repeatedly called MJ's phone to no avail, worked out, and paced around his room until 7 AM, which was when sleep finally overcame him and he passed out on the floor. When he woke up at 4 PM, he completely forgot where he was until memories from last night came rushing back to him. By then, he had never felt so desolate and empty before.

_MJ is gone._

The buzzer rang and ended Peter's brooding. He took a deep breath and sighed as he joined his teammates on their bench, ready to start the game.

**MJ's POV**

MJ sat in the airport bar as she waited for the next flight to New York. She had missed the flight she initially took because she fell asleep in the waiting lounge, tired after silently crying throughout the whole night.

A roar of cheering in one corner of the room caught MJ's attention, and she saw that a large crowd of men were cramped around a television. She realized that Peter's game must be playing, and before she was able to stop herself, MJ had walked to join the group to get a better look at the screen. It was showing a replay of Peter stealing the ball from Lebron James, bouncing it off the backboard back to himself, and dunking it before the buzzer went off. For someone who is only six feet tall, Peter can sure jump high even without his spider strength. The first quarter ended with 24-19 for the Knicks. MJ couldn't help but feel a little sense of pride for her ex-husband.

The screen turned back to the live feed of the game and it zoomed in on Peter, sitting on the bench. Just seeing his face made MJ's heart skip a beat. Looking at him hurt her on the inside, but she didn't care because she still loved him very much. Despite wanting to turn away, she kept on watching just so that she could see him for a little while longer.

Peter wasn't talking to anyone at the bench, and MJ knew him long enough to know how he always arched his eyebrows up when he's trying to hide his emotions. She noticed that he kept glancing at a seat behind him, and she knew that he was looking for her at her usual spot during his games, only to find it empty this time. Guilt built up in her throat, and she chided herself for not waiting until after the game to speak with him. She knew how bad it hurt to have someone be absent during that one time you expect them to be there for you. It was one of the main reasons why she decided to end it off with Peter, after all, but now it was her doing it to him. Today was an important day for him, and she had probably ruined it.

As if to confirm what she had just been thinking, the second quarter started with Peter slacking off behind the other players on the court. Before Peter even crossed the center line, Tim had stolen the ball from Lonzo Ball and passed it to Peter, giving him a perfect chance for a fast break. Peter rushed back to his team's basket and jumped for another dunk, only for the ball to bounce off from the ring and for Peter to land on his bum. The audience, both in the stadium and in the bar, went silent. Peter Parker never failed a dunk, ever.

He buried his face in the shirt under his jersey, but when his face surfaced several seconds later, he was smiling with tears running down his cheeks.

MJ then realized that Peter was wearing the yellow shirt she usually wore for bed. She hadn't packed it in her luggage because she wasn't planning on leaving LA until Peter finished tonight's game. MJ then knew that Peter had been smelling her scent; that Peter had tears pouring out of his eyes because of her scent; and that Peter was smiling because of her scent.

If MJ had been doing a good job at controlling her emotions a few seconds ago, she wasn't anymore. She joined Peter in heartbreak and broke into tears as well, ignoring the other people at the bar.

**Peter's POV**

Peter _had_ done a good job not thinking about MJ the whole first quarter, but as he sat on the bench, he couldn't take it anymore. He needed MJ to be with him, and the closest thing he had left of her was the yellow shirt. He had brought it with him on his way to the locker room to remind himself that someone as beautiful as her existed, and he needed to be reminded again. So, during the break, Peter sped to the locker room to retrieve MJ's shirt and put it on under his jersey. Once he got back on the court, he was surrounded by the smell of MJ's body. He was in bliss.

Unfortunately, his euphoria was interrupted by a ball coming towards him. He remembered that he was playing a game, in a professional league, in front of millions of people. So he caught the ball and took the fast break. Before he jumped, however, he subconsciously looked for MJ behind his team's bench, and he suddenly remembered that she wasn't there.

The next thing he knew, he was sitting on the floor with MJ's scent seeping into his nose. He stopped caring about anything else and he buried his face under the yellow shirt. For the first time in two years, Peter cried.

Enes helped Peter get back on his feet and noticed his face glistening with tears.

"You alright down there, man?" Enes joked, trying to cheer Peter up, "You know, you won't always land on your feet. You gotta get used to that or Coach Dave is gonna start pestering you about being a crybaby."

Peter didn't know what to say to that so he just forced out a laugh. As he sat on the bench, his teammates left him alone, which he was thankful for. His peace was alas quickly broken when Coach David called his name and signalled for him to follow to the locker room.

"Get it together, Peter. We have a championship to win, and we need you focused for that. Forget about your wife. Crying won't bring her back and there are plenty of much better…"

Coach David continued to reprimand Peter, but he had stopped listening by then. His thoughts drifted back to MJ and MJ only.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Peter is supposed to only be 5'10" but I just can't imagine him throwing dunks left and right when there are professional players who are a foot taller trying to block him.


	4. The Pep Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Spider-Man. The NBA players merely share the names of existing ones, but their characters are completely different.

**MJ’s POV**

"Are you okay, ma'am?" A portly man had turned to face her from his seat when he heard her quiet sobbing.

"I'm fine," MJ responded, wiping her eyes with her sleeves, "Just dust in my eyes." She turned to go to the washroom, but behind her were men laughing at Peter, saying he was overreacting to his fall. She sped up her pace to get out of there before she did anything stupid, like slapping them. She didn't want to attract more attention to herself, or everyone will recognize her as Peter Parker's wife. That was the last thing she needed right now.

The comments about Peter being soft really irritated her. She knew Peter had taken much worse hits than this and still continued to fight. Peter was tough and resilient, that was his character if not kind and intelligent.

 _I'm nothing like Peter,_ MJ thought to herself as she looked at the reflection of her drained face in the bathroom mirror. She had bags under her eyes and she didn't bother wearing makeup. _I couldn't take the pain of being neglected over a game. I'm just a jealous little girl, always craving for attention. I don't deserve Peter. He is strong and I am weak._

"Passengers of Flight 311 to New York please proceed immediately to Gate 28. The plane will be taking off in 15 minutes."

Needless to say, MJ was disappointed. She had hoped to stay a bit longer to watch more of the game, for it was the last game she was ever planning to watch of Peter. He chose basketball over her, and she had no one to blame but herself.

**Peter's POV**

Coach David had decided to give Peter some alone time to regain his composure, so Peter sat in the locker room, alone with his thoughts.

_A shrill shriek from the living room broke the silence of the Parker house in Queens, New York. Peter rushed out of his room to check on the cause of the scream._

" _MJ! Are you alright?"_

" _Oh, PETE!" MJ's voice had never been higher. Her face lit up with glee and Peter allowed himself to relax. "Guess what?"_

_Peter just raised his eyebrows questioningly._

" _I got in Broadway! I'm playing Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton. They just hung up!"_

" _Oh, wow… That's great MJ!" Peter dashed to hug her and spun her around. "I'm so happy for you!"_

" _They said my first performance will be on the 21st of June." MJ was jumping now. "You have to be there!"_

_"21st of June?" Peter's face dropped, "but that'll be when the NBA draft is happening. It's over at Barclays Center in Brooklyn."_

" _Oh, right." MJ stopped her jumping. "I guess I'll have to talk to the manager to see if I can start at a different date then." MJ smiled lovingly at Peter._

" _No, no, no no, no." Peter rapidly shook his head. "You don't have to do that."_

" _No, it's alright. I want to be there when you get first pick." MJ smirked and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Besides, I also want you to be there for my Broadway debut."_

" _Alright, then." Peter's hands lifted MJ's chin up and their lips met._

Peter didn't go to MJ's Broadway debut, nor to any of her plays so far. A lump formed in Peter's throat. He had been so selfish and unsupportive. He'd been so absorbed in becoming a celebrity that he had practically been ignoring MJ. Ever since he lost his powers, he'd been so caught up with trying to prove to himself that he could be someone besides Spider-Man that he'd forgotten about the person who truly mattered to him.

He had never been to any of her plays, despite her always being there for his games. He had become a self-absorbed asshole like many of her exes before him. He wanted to hit himself.

 _I've chosen a game over MJ, the love of my life. How_ stupid _could I be?_

The sound of footsteps echoed through the halls leading to the locker room. Tim entered and sat beside Peter. Peter figured that it must be the end of the second quarter of the game. A long silence ensued and Peter didn't look up once, so Tim decided to start.

"You know, you're lucky, man. You still have her, you know?" Tim looked past the floor, deep in thought. "Did you know…" Tim hesitated, "I've never been in a serious relationship since high school. She…"

Peter finally turned to look at Tim and patted him on the back. He was about to tell him that he didn't have to talk about it if he was feeling uncomfortable, but he knew that Tim was the type of person who preferred to get things off his chest. He always liked to express his emotions, so Peter stayed quiet and just listened.

Tim took a deep breath and finally regained the ability to speak. "Amanda… she and I had met when we were six. I found this tree house one summer, but when I climbed in, she was already sitting there. So for the rest of the season, we went back there everyday and played—you know, children stuff." Tim let out a hollow laugh and continued. "Anyway, we did that every summer until high school. That's when we started dating, but I knew that I loved her even then. We spent more time together after that and… but..."

Tim turned to face Peter and swallowed. "She died. That's where our story ended. At senior year, she got hit by a fucking drunk driver." his voice got heavier and heavier with every word, and Peter felt for him. "I don’t even remember the last thing we said to each other. She just—she didn’t last a day in the hospital. My last memory of her, she was out, tubes connected all around her body.”

Peter was shocked. He didn’t expect this story from Tim. He knew what it felt like to lose someone, but at least he got to speak with them during their final moments in life, despite it being in bad terms or not. “I’m sorry,” he said.

"I told myself I would forget, that I'd move on, but I couldn't. That's why I'm stuck with flings and one night stands." Tim looked at Peter in the eyes, "Peter, you've got a beautiful, loving wife. I don't know what caused your breakup, but I've seen you two together. She'd never forget about you, just like you'd never forget about her. If I learned one thing in life, it's that you should hold the people you love close to you while you still have them.

"As your teammate, I'd say forget about her and win this game for us, but really, it's up to you. Follow your heart, Peter." Tim stood up and turned to leave the room, his last words echoing in Peter's head.

Tim was right. The last time Peter had felt this much grief and sense of powerlessness was when he had lost another friend. It was two years ago, when his friend became misguided by vengeance, and Peter didn't do enough to bring him back. Peter just got rid of him as if he was just another villain, only that time, it was for good.

 _No, I will not let myself lose another one. Not this time._ Suddenly, Peter knew what to do. He got up from his seat and walked out of the locker room and past the entrance to the court. He saw that the Knicks were still on the lead with 73 points, but the Lakers were catching up fast: pushing to 70 as Lebron James threw a heavy dunk on a poor Knicks player.

Peter ran his hands through his sweat-soaked hair and turned towards the exit of the court center. He didn't care about the game anymore. He only cared about MJ.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pum... Pum... PAM!
> 
> Amanda is a completely made up character, same goes for everyone else. The similarities between the characters in this story and the NBA players end at their names. If you have any problems with me using someone's name, PM me so I can change it.


	5. Sight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Spider-Man. The NBA players merely share the names of existing ones, but their characters are completely different.

**MJ's POV**

When MJ finally accepted that he won't be able to see Peter play once more, she solemnly turned away from the television screen. She walked out of the airport bar towards Gate 28, off to board her plane back to New York without one Peter Parker.

 _Maybe he really_ was _hurt from that fall, after all. I hope he's alright._ MJ mused as she turned her phone to airplane mode in case she forgets to do so on the plane.

**Peter's POV**

"Damn it," Peter whispered to himself as he frantically ran down the street, trying to call MJ for the fifth time. Every single attempt ended with him being redirected to her voicemail.

"Hey, it's MJ, sing your song at the beep!"

"MJ, please, pick up…" Peter thought about what to say next, "I chose wrong, and I don't want you to think I haven't been... regretting that choice ever since—" Peter was panting by then, and before he finished what he was going to say, the voicemail ended. Peter gave up trying to call MJ, knowing he's likely been blocked already. He dropped his phone on to the concrete sidewalk and continued to run.

Peter didn't know how he was going to reach the airport. He just knew that he had to because if MJ stepped into that plane without him, he would never be forgiven. She would be gone forever. New York was a big city so he's more likely to get bitten by another radioactive spider than for them to run into each other again. She had probably blocked him on all social media accounts, so it would be impossible for him to find her without any contact.

He was still in his basketball jersey, wearing his basketball shoes, so people easily recognized him as he was sped down the city. He was getting way too exhausted and tunnel-visioned to notice them, however. Peter was in great shape, but his body wasn't made to run at full speed for 10 miles straight. Nonetheless, he didn't have time to wait for a taxi or bus, so he just ran, faster and faster. He had to get to MJ and he had no time to waste.

Just as he mindlessly crossed an intersection, Peter felt the hairs at the back of his neck stand up. On instinct, Peter jumped out of the way just in time for a truck to horn past where he was standing half a second ago. Peter felt a surge of energy run through his veins once he realized what had just happened.

Even so, he quickly snapped out of the train of thought. He could deal with that later; he had more important matters to worry about. He ignored the mixture of strange and awed looks he was getting and continued to run. Before long, Peter had climbed up a building and was jumping across rooftops, wishing he still had his web shooters with him.

**MJ's POV**

MJ was twisting her wedding band around her ring finger as she trudged on her way to Gate 28. She was used to figuring out what to do under pressure. She didn't grow up in the most loving and supportive home, and her reputation during her high school years didn't help ease the tension in her life, so she knew how to deal with emotional problems. What she didn't know, however, was what to do with the damn ring. She could have easily taken it off, if not for the memory of Peter's proposal.

" _... it was wholesome." Peter chuckled as he recalled the memory of his late Aunt May teaching their neighbour's dog how to dance._

" _Yeah, it was." MJ agreed with Peter as they sat down on a bench. They had been walking in the middle of a tulip field, surrounded by people gazing and taking pictures of the stunning garden park filled with blooming colourful flowers._

" _MJ…" Peter said her name as though it was the most beautiful thing to ever come out of his mouth. His hazel brown eyes bore into hers. She fixed hers on his in return._

" _Pete…" MJ replied just as affectionately. Peter's hands caressed her cheeks and she closed her eyes as she waited for his lips to meet hers. It didn't. Instead, she heard something clutter to the stone pavement near her feet and Peter muttering to himself._

" _Damn it… sorry."_

_MJ opened her eyes and saw Peter was picking up his camera from the ground, but before he put it back in his camera bag, he took a small box out from it with his other hand. He then got to his knees and opened the box in front of her to reveal a small, sparkling diamond ring. Before he said anything, MJ hugged him and screamed, "YES!"_

_A friendly stranger had snapped a photo of the proposal and approached the newly-engaged couple, revealing the capture of the most perfect moment in MJ's life._

Peter had been the one who brought the love and support she needed ever since her mom passed away. It wouldn't be too selfish of her to keep the only thing she had of him left, would it?

**Peter and MJ's POV**

Peter sped past the airport security and fought off guards trying to stop him. He caught sight of MJ just as he was about to enter the bridge leading to the plane.

"MJ!"

MJ turned around with a surprised face, shocked to see Peter running towards her. He was panting once he reached her, the guards loosely trailing behind him by then. "Peter?"

Peter thought she looked as beautiful as ever: even with her worn-out face, she was a sight for sore eyes. They looked at each other for several seconds before running into each other's arms. Tears flowed down MJ's cheeks, but for the first time in so long, they were happy, tears of joy. They attacked each other's lips as if they were tasting each other for the first time again. Peter could smell the wonderful scent emitting from MJ's skin. The same scent that drove him insane, even while playing what could have been his life-changing game in front of millions of people.

MJ buried her hands under the hair behind Peter's head. Her hands travelled to places it should never go while they're in public. _In public. Right._ MJ opened her eyes once she realized what she was doing. Peter's eyes were heavy and hungry for more and MJ eagerly wanted to comply had she not seen that the guards were finally catching up.

"Are you crazy, Peter Parker?" She teasingly whispered into his ears.

"Yes, I was crazy for choosing a game over you, Mary Jane Parker." he tucked a lock of hair behind her ears and whispered, "I'm so sorry…"

They pressed their foreheads together before Peter pulled out to turn himself into the guards, who have now reluctantly caught up. He sheepishly smiled at them and raised his arms out for an officer to put handcuffs on him. Before he was led out, he faced MJ and finally said it.

"I love you, MJ."

"I love you too, Pete," MJ replied, laughing at the sight of Peter getting arrested. It was an absurd sight because, in spite of all things, they loved each other, and that was all that mattered to both of them at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (If you were imagining MJ as the MCU version, just pretend that I wrote Michelle Jones-Parker)
> 
> Anyway, that's it for the story. It was a challenge for me to write because I've never been down to LA and I'm writing about adults who are almost twice my age. I still hope I made it enjoyable enough for you to tolerate my inexperiences, though.
> 
> Thanks a lot for reading!


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